


Ace Of Hearts

by PlanetariumStickers



Category: Splatoon
Genre: Alternate Universe, Domestic Fluff, F/F, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Memories, Time Skips, Trans Female Character, i promise there's plenty of happy moments, implied self harm in chapter 3, referenced self harm in chapter 4, referenced suicide in chapter 4, time skips in chapter 3 and 4
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-18
Updated: 2020-03-30
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:14:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23195356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PlanetariumStickers/pseuds/PlanetariumStickers
Summary: Same universe as "What Truly Is Forbidden" and "The Birds Are Singing"4 chapters of domestic fluff, love, and acceptance
Relationships: Marina/Pearl (Splatoon)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 28





	1. Black for the dark in our bedroom each night

**Author's Note:**

> This idea came to me at like midnight so I decided to write the first (and probably shortest) chapter, hope you enjoy!

-

It was a hot summer night, and the soft droning of the AC filled the cabin. The stars shone brighter than ever, and the moon cast a silver glow through the open windows downstairs. The lantern on the front porch flickered in a gentle breeze that ruffled the trees and sent crickets dancing through the field. Moths flew at the screens, trying desperately to reach the single light that had been left on in the kitchen. 

Up on the balcony, the air felt even warmer. Damp footprints led from the hot tub to the back door, where they disappeared in the darkness of the home.

For a moment, a yellow glow flooded the upstairs as the bathroom door opened, but the light flickered off in an instant and only the dim warmth of the bedside lamp could be seen. This soft light, along with muscle memory and the sound of soft breathing, helped lead Pearl to her bed.

The small inkling hopped up onto the mattress next to her partner, gazing over at the other gently as she turned off the lamp. Marina gazed back with an equally affectionate expression, and Pearl could practically feel it through the black atmosphere. The two were quick to pull eachother in, closing the few inches between them. Marina wrapped her arms around the other's waist as she was gently embraced, Pearl burying her face in her soft chest.

“I love you, darling,” the octoling whispered as she gently stroked her girlfriend’s back under her shirt, earning her a comforted sigh in return.

“I love you too,” Pearl mumbled, her sleepy voice muffled by the fabric of the other's loose t-shirt. She pressed up against the taller girl lovingly, finding comfort in her warmth despite the hot temperatures.

The two drifted off after some time, the sounds of eachothers’ heartbeats drumming softly through their ears. The darkness of the bedroom aided their sleep in its strange familiarity; how could one truly be familiar with nothingness? Yet to them, it was much more than nothing. It was the sparkling of the stars, the dance of the lantern flames, the song of the crickets, the life of the moths, and the comfort of soft skin against skin that brought along warm kisses. 

It was the darkness that gave hidden wonders the excitement to take center stage.

-


	2. Grey for the storms the days fail to fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pearl and Marina settle down on the couch after getting caught in a storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "I don't know when I'll write the next chapter" apparently 12 hours later. Good job spacing this out

-

It wasn't exactly unexpected.

Though Marina had been concerned with the possibility earlier that morning, as soon as the top and doors of the jeep were thrown off to allow the cool wind to sweep their skin, she felt all her worries drift away. The rushing cold and grey sky couldn't taint the pure joy that the two girlfriends felt as they blasted music from the car radio, smiles spreading wide across their faces.

It had been almost completely forgotten by the time they reached town, and they smiled and laughed as they hopped down the street towards the moonshine shop. There, they danced wildly around the stage together as Marina strummed away at her guitar and Pearl sang along to the tune. All the people on the streets gave them at least a passing glance, and many familiars had stayed to dance along with them. Pearl and Marina stayed there for hours, and despite the gloomy weather, the excitement never died down.

But as the first drop of rain hit them on the head, the town quickly emptied as inklings and octolings rushed into buildings or back to their cars. 

No more music on the way back. No more singing.

Pearl and Marina crashed through the front door of the cabin, soaked in burning water as they trembled and kicked off their shoes. This wasn't the first time they had been caught in the rain, but they certainly weren't used to it. In the rush of everything, Pearl didn't hesitate to pull off all her wet clothes and throw them into the washing machine down the hall, grabbing herself a towel from the bathroom to dry herself off before her skin burned too harshly. The inkling sighed softly as she rubbed the towel up and down her body, stepping back out into the hallway; there her eyes locked on Marina, standing shyly a few feet away as she continued shaking.

A dry towel rubbing against wet clothes wasn't exactly effective, and the octoling quickly headed towards the bedroom to get herself properly changed into a flannel and some shorts. Meanwhile, Pearl threw herself down on the couch with nothing but a fluffy blanket covering her, yawning softly as she turned on the TV. As she rested and curled up under the comforter, the windows rattled in the growing storm.

Outside, the wind was blowing leaves of fiery hues through the grey and dull atmosphere, and the lantern swayed on its hook. Tree branches creaked and snapped and tumbled down to the forest floor, thunder roaring through the field. The sound of fleeing corvids could be heard through it all, and Pearl was relieved that she wasn't in their situation anymore. She loved thunderstorms; that is, when she wasn't trapped outside during them. And as she remembered how haphazardly she had thrown the top and doors of the jeep to the side, she internally scolded herself for how beat up the car would get in the storm. Yet she couldn't bring herself to care enough to go outside again, especially when Marina appeared from the hall.

“You comfy in there?” the taller girl called as she padded towards the kitchen, her long tentacles tingling from the lingering burns.

“It'd be comfier with you in here,” Pearl called back with a sigh, shivering slightly under the cover. 

“You look freezing…”

“I am freezing. I want snuggles.”

“Hot chocolate?” Marina giggled, already pouring milk into a pot on the stove.

Pearl smiled warmly at her girlfriend. “Hot chocolate.” 

As the two continued with their separate focuses, Pearl lazily browsed through the channels on the TV. Lots of bad romance movies were on, a trick used to lure cephalings that had been trapped inside into watching them. In a way it worked, but they were all so old and overplayed, and the inkling couldn’t find herself interested in any of them. She gazed longingly at the stack of DVD’s across the room, wishing she had enough mental strength to actually get up and look through them. It was just one of those days.

After a few minutes, Marina had appeared by the couch and set two mugs of hot chocolate on the coffee table. Pearl sat up quickly, the comforter sliding off of her as she grabbed one of the mugs and took a long sip. She practically choked when the liquid burned her tongue, but there was no way she'd show it. She was too tough for that. Her startled grimace slowly morphed into a smile as her girlfriend positioned herself behind the inkling, wrapping the warm comforter around both of them. 

They sat like this for quite some time, cautiously sipping their cocoa as they relished in the feeling of eachothers’ own heat. As Pearl pressed her bare back against Marina’s shirt, she couldn't help but wish that the octoling felt more comfortable with herself. Seeing her shyly disappear in their bedroom to get changed rather than just take off her clothes and dry off with a towel brought back memories of the night in the mountains, when Marina had trusted that Pearl would love her despite a secret she hadn't had the courage to tell. Sometimes Pearl wished that it was just that she was far more open and Marina simply wasn't, but she always knew it was more than that, and she often scolded herself for cutting off her dad. She knew that he would've helped, but it was far too late for that. Now all she had was a jar filled with the spare change that she'd been collecting over the years and money she'd made from pawning in old treasures, which was actually starting to add up to something. It made her hopeful when she saw it and added a few more dollars, hopeful that someday Marina would be more comfortable with herself. 

Pearl wasn't sure how her girlfriend would react, but she knew she wouldn't dare let her refuse the money. 

And in that moment, snuggled up on the couch, Pearl could tell that things were going to be better someday.

-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this! I'll be back with chapter 3 soon!


	3. White for the snow that winter wields

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some winter history and a bit of seasonal depression to go along with it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okaaaay this one took a bit of a different turn, but the next one will be softer I promise!

-

Pearl remembered an old song her grandfather once sang for her, during the winter when the suburbs were white and cold.

For so many years, the small flakes of ice that tickled her nose would fill her with feelings that couldn’t be dulled. On those nights, when she was alone, she'd head down into the kitchen and pull the largest knife from the knife block.

Sometimes Pearl would just stare at it, observing the deadly edge on it. 

But other times, Pearl would take it out into the snowy yard, waiting for her skin to slowly numb, and then she'd watch as the white around her feet was stained with vibrant, colored droplets.

-

In the city up north, the winter brought nothing but slush and occasional flurries. But snow never stuck around, so all it ever brought for Marina was chills and dangerous driving conditions.

She never really knew what she was missing until one morning in late November.

Marina had spent the night at Pearl’s house down by the town, and was woken when the sun hit her face through the frosty windows. When she opened her eyes, slowly yawning, she almost immediately noticed the layer of white on the ground outside. 

All she could do for a moment was sit and stare through the glass, the sound of Pearl’s slow breathing being the only thing she could hear past the sound of her racing heartbeat. Slowly she swung her legs off the bed, bare toes tingling as they hit the cold carpet, and walked towards the window to get a better look. As she stared in awe at the landscape, her ears perked at the sound of Pearl rolling over in bed with a tired groan.

“Rina…?” the inkling mumbled softly, blinking her eyes open slowly.

“Do you always get snow down here?” Marina replied, still gazing through the window.

Pearl took a moment to process the question before closing her eyes again with a sigh. “Yeah, we always get snow down here…”

The octoling turned to face her friend, or maybe her girlfriend, she wasn't entirely sure where yesterday had left them off. Her tentacles were curling at the tips and her green eyes were filled with a childlike wonder. “Can I go see it?”

The inkling yawned as she slowly sat up, stretching her arms above her head. “I won't stop you.”

There was a small moment of hesitation and the air went still. “Will you come with me…?” 

Green eyes met amber and the two just stared, but Pearl couldn't resist for too long before responding slowly, “Yeah, I'll come…”

At that Marina visibly lit up, bouncing on her feet before running towards the front door. She heard Pearl calling out for her to wait, but her spirits led her crashing out onto the porch without hesitation. As she stepped out into the cold she felt her heart skip a beat, and for a moment she felt as frozen as the snow. But as she took it all in, she found herself capable of walking down the small staircase and planting one of her bare feet in the cold icy flakes. Marina shivered through the sensation before putting her other foot down, an amazed smile growing on her lips.

Pearl appeared behind her in a coat and boots, and she audibly sighed when she saw Marina standing in sweatpants and a t-shirt with no shoes or socks. But her ears perked and twitched with interest when the octoling suddenly took off in a sprint, laughing and cheering as she danced around in the snow. The other could barely stifle a giggle when she saw her friend, or maybe her girlfriend, topple over in the white blanket and bury her face in the ground. "What a goof," the inkling whispered with a chuckle.

-

Pearl was left alone at home while Marina was out grabbing groceries, and she felt worse than usual. Maybe it was due to the fact that her meds had run out the day before and she was yet to pick up her prescription, maybe it was the lack of her fiancé’s presence, or maybe it was the weather again.

In a way she had come to love seeing the snow, as she knew that Marina was so fond of it. But she still sighed as she stared at the knife block from her spot on the couch, and she gazed wearily at the scars on her wrists. It was a part of her past that she had kept hidden from everyone; she always kept her reputation for being loud, bold, expressive, and filled with fire. And sure sometimes she was, but there would always be that piece that she'd locked away.

For a while, all Pearl had was the whistling of the wind outside, the knives in the knife block, the scars on her wrists, and her weary eyes. 

That's why she practically jumped out of her seat when the front door creaked open, Marina appearing on the other side. 

“Darlin, I'm home!” Pearl heard the familiar voice of her fiancé call through the dark house, followed by the thud of grocery bags being dropped on the counter.

“And I'm here,” Marina heard Pearl respond softly, and with a quick glance around she found her lying on the couch. As she pulled off her shoes she met the other where she was resting, kneeling down on the floor next to the sofa with a soft sigh.

“It's freezing out there,” the octoling mumbled as she closed her eyes, resting her chin on the couch cushions. 

“I got a fire going,” the other returned as she rested her hand on the top of her partner's head, gazing softly down at her.

“You never took your meds this morning…”

“I don't have any left.”

“Were you alright here alone..?”

“Yeah.” That was a lie.

Marina lifted her head and shot Pearl a worried look. “No more cuts?”

The inkling shook her head reassuringly. “No more cuts.” That much was true.

In a quick moment the taller girl had clambered on top of the other, and the two wrapped their arms around eachother affectionately. Pearl shivered at how stunningly cold her partner felt, leading her to hold her even tighter.

“Feel any better?” Marina asked, to which Pearl nodded softly. At that she planted a kiss on the girl’s neck before resting her chin on her shoulder, both of their heartbeats slowing. 

It wasn't long before the freezing temperatures overtook them and they found themselves curled up against eachother, hands tucked under their shirts for comfort. But even if the temperature wasn't so intense, they would've ended up in the same place, relishing in the physical affection that they exchanged. 

Pearl knew that it truly was the intimacy between her and Marina that made the winter so much more tolerable than it was years ago. For many moons and many seasons it had been this way; Marina came to her during some of the roughest times of her life, and with her she brought hope for both of them.

So it would always be worth sticking through the hardships, because at the end of the day, there would always be Marina.

-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed, see you soon!


	4. Purple for the flowers we picked in the fields

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There was a beautiful serenity in the field that morning.  
> The birds overhead sang and danced through the air, enjoying a gentle breeze that tickled the grasses. Ants scampered through the dirt while dragonflies soared over the lake, and a single butterfly found peace atop the purple petals of a wildflower.  
> Near the edge of the water, Marina leaned back against the trunk of a sturdy oak, head tilted down and eyes closed.  
> Everything felt still.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wowzers my first chapter fic is over, it was fairly short but I would love to do more like this in the future! I have a few ideas already, but I'm still sad that this one is over

-

There was a beautiful serenity in the field that morning.

The birds overhead sang and danced through the air, enjoying a gentle breeze that tickled the grasses. Ants scampered through the dirt while dragonflies soared over the lake, and a single butterfly found peace atop the purple petals of a wildflower.

Near the edge of the water, Marina leaned back against the trunk of a sturdy oak, head tilted down and eyes closed.

Everything felt still.

It was one of those rare moments when Marina could just think, exist, be. The life around her made her feel almost nonexistent in the present world, but she'd rather not disturb it with her presence anyways.

She felt oddly at peace with herself that morning. It was rather unexpected, especially after the nightmares from the night before, but it was incredibly relaxing.

What a wonder it was to just be, to exist as herself and be comfortable with it.

She opened her eyes after a while, simply taking in the scenery. The sound of a blackbird call above her drew her gaze to the branches overhead, and something in her memories urged her to reach up towards the sky. 

-

“Pearl, hurry up!” Marina shouted playfully at the inkling, already almost halfway up the tree.

“How the hell do you climb so fast?!” the other replied, struggling to pull herself up to the branch above her. The octoling just continued on her way, leaving Pearl in the dust. She must've been lying when she said she'd never climbed a tree before, this was just unbelievable. 

When Marina reached one of the highest branches of the oak, she was purely amazed by all she could see. The lake beneath her no longer seemed so big, and the ravens in the sky no longer seemed so small. 

After a few moments the branch swayed as Pearl appeared beside her, sitting down with a heavy breath. “I’m never doing this again,” she huffed, and Marina sat down next to her with a content sigh.

“It's so beautiful up here,” the taller girl spoke, her voice filled with amazement. 

“I don't understand how climbing trees is so easy for you..”

“You can see so much more!”

“I'm so out of breath I could pass out.”

“That's not a good idea, I'm not on the ground to catch you if you fall,” Marina giggled, tentacles swaying in the wind.

Pearl stiffened when she heard that, finally processing the fact that she was a long way from the field grass. Slowly she leaned forward and glanced down towards the tree roots, feeling her stomach drop. “M-Marina,” Pearl started, glancing over at her friend as she shuddered, “I'm scared of heights…”

-

Marina still chuckled when she recalled that day and how fearfully Pearl had climbed back down the oak. She gazed up at her fingers, still reaching up at the branches, and remembered how she'd tried to help the smaller girl get back down to the ground, which was of course met with retaliation. Pearl had always been too stubborn to let friends see how vulnerable she could be.

The octoling sighed as she brought her hand back to rest in her lap, recalling the night when her then-girlfriend had let Marina see just how fragile she was.

-

“Pearlie..?” Marina whispered, voice almost drowned out by the sound of the fan. “You okay..?”

Pearl had been sitting a few feet away on the other end of the bed, eyes welling up with tears as she gazed down at her wrists. “Why am I like this, Rina..”

The octoling wore a puzzled yet concerned expression, her tentacles still and tense. “What do you mean?”

“Why am I such a mess, why did I hurt myself like this..? Why can't I just be normal?”  
Marina didn't know how to respond, and she found herself in a moment of panic. She could feel her heart racing, but before she could think of something to say, her girlfriend continued.

“I never wanted to do it,” Pearl said with a sniffle, “I never wanted to cut… But over time it just got worse and worse, and eventually…” The inkling stopped herself before finishing, choking on tears.

Marina hesitated before whispering, “Did you… do it..?” The other gazed up at her, seemingly confused, so she continued. “Did you try to take your life…?”

The inkling gazed back down at her wrists, and for a moment the air felt eerily still. Then she nodded, so slowly at first as she coughed on more sobs.

Marina felt her heart shatter into bits as she froze, warm tears streaming down her cheeks. After what felt like forever of thinking and processing and trying to remain calm, she managed to crawl over to her girlfriend and pull her into a tight hug. She could feel the smaller girl pressing her face into her chest as she cried, and the octoling rubbed her back affectionately. “You're alright,” she whispered gently, “I'm here, I always will be.” It wasn't much, but it was all she could bring herself to say. So she repeated it, over and over again, “I'm here for you. I love you.”

-

It had been one of the first secrets Pearl had shared. It opened up a part of the truth the Marina had so long been blind to, and she often wondered how she never picked up on it before. The way she talked about her childhood, her parents, her family, her life in general, and the scars on her wrists should've been clear signs. 

Marina sighed as she gazed out at the distant mountains. Pearl hadn’t ever been the only one with a secret, and it was important that they had found comfort in sharing them with eachother.

-

Pearl had to take a moment to process what she'd just been told. She wasn't entirely sure how to respond, and she could tell the silence was making Marina tense. She was fine with it, she knew that much, but she couldn't just say that. That wouldn't mean much. 

As she thought, processed, and panicked, she nodded slowly as her tentacles swayed in the cold breeze. “That's alright,” she started, “doesn't change how I see you. You're still Rina.”

“Wait, you're not… mad?”

In an instant, their gazes had met. “Why would I be mad?”

“I don't know, I just feel like I've been lying to you,” Marina mumbled, staring down at her feet.

“Rina,” Pearl started, shuffling closer, “being trans isn't lying to me.” She paused a moment before carefully leaning against her friend, her face tinted with a light blush. “I’m glad you're you. I love you for being you. I always will.”

-

Marina smiled as she remembered that night, the night when she'd first felt truly accepted for who she was. The night she knew that everything would be okay, so long as she had Pearl by her side.

As if on cue, the inkling appeared beside her fiancé and sat down in the grass next to her. “Mornin’, beautiful.” Pearl smirked as she faced the other. “How do you feel?”

It was then that Marina felt like she had finally been pulled back into the present. “Better,” she responded.

“That's good!” The inkling’s ears perked and she grinned, the other smiling naturally in response. “That's great actually, cus it's quite a nice morning…”

The octoling sat up with a curious gaze. “What's on your mind?”

“You feel up for a run?” Pearl asked as she stood and held out her hand, golden eyes sparkling. Within seconds Marina was up on her feet, and the two met for a quick kiss before Pearl bolted out into the field. “Betcha can't catch me!” she shouted teasingly over her shoulder, giggling as she sprinted through the grass.

As Marina bounded after her, she recalled running like this on hot summer nights when she was too full of energy to sleep. Pearl would run right beside her, and the two would send crickets hopping desperately out of their paths as they danced through the fireflies. 

They’d run like this in autumn, the beautiful colors of the distant forests appearing only in their peripheral vision cus they were so focused on eachother. They’d splash through the creek without a care in the world, still chasing eachother through the land that was all theirs. She remembered running like this through the rain, racing to get eachother to safety.

They'd run like this in the winter, tired and freezing yet determined and free. Despite the cold wind, they could still feel the warmth in eachothers’ smiles, and that was all they needed.

And then they'd collapse on top of eachother, unbelievably out of breath but laughing still. They'd lie in the grass together, surrounded by all the purple wildflowers, and they’d watch as their rings shone in the sunshine. There in those moments together, they felt so incredibly free and at peace.

The world was all theirs to run through. It was all theirs to enjoy. 

And no matter where they went, no matter what they did, no matter how tough of times they'd have to fight through, they would always be together. Their love would outlast the universe.

What a truly wonderful feeling eternal love is.

-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope you all enjoyed!


End file.
